To wonder if anyone is providing food and extra sleeping bags etc to the lorry drivers in Kent

[AtlasPine]

It must be cold and miserable - 1,500 of them sleeping in their lorries with no idea when they will be on their way again. Some will be British lorries and some European I’m guessing.

Does anyone know if they are accessing hot food? What happens when their batteries go low and they can’t warm their cabs?

And many will be self-employed so they’ll be losing money too I’m guessing.

Aren't lorry drivers often in their cabs overnight due to distance limiters? Admittedly not for this long, but I would have thought most would be fully equipped because of being held up in bad weather etc.
I also assume most will have equipment incase on needing a wee but not sure what happens when they are stuck in the middle of nowhere and need a poo.

I doubt they have the battery power to hear their cabs for days but you’re right - they probably have bedding already. I hope they’re ok. The mum in me worries. I’d hate it to be one of my D.C. out there. And they won’t necessarily have brought enough provisions for this prolonged wait.

There was a lorry driver on BBC Breakfast who is self-employed and he did say he will lose this week's pay and will need to make the money back.

I saw on Twitter a Sikh group were handing out bottles of water and food. I don't think theres even toilets for them, some have a long way to go when they get over the border, feel for them, must be miserable.

I agree it is worrying. Hopefully, it will be sorted later today but I'm sure an agency will be sorting out getting provisions to them.

I guess there are local shops and service stations they can access. But so miserable for them and their families, especially so near Christmas.

I've a friend who runs a haulage company, he's mainly UK based, but says when they occasionally go to Europe the facilities for drivers are so much better, real lack of secure parking in the UK for trucks apparently.
I think we're going to be short of drivers prepared to come to the UK next year.

I have a fof who's stuck in Calais she could miss Christmas.
Plenty of brits stuck in France too.
Priti said there is welfare facilities here.

Poor things. I've been thinking about it too.

Why would they be carrying enough water food and clothes for a long stay? They weren’t expecting this. Also Kent is a bit anti foreigner isn’t it so haven’t seen any rush to help them? 1500 lorries is a lot of mouths to feed.

Well done to Khalsa aid - good people

i always wonder about that when they get stuck in france.

The salvation army are providing food apparently according to sky news

I’m glad they are being looked after to some degree. What a shambles.

I've heard from a few people stuck there
that there are no facilities, even some sort of temporary truck park/area to park up properly and freshen up would help, but nothing. Government is doing nothing to help so far, but as other posters have said, some charities and locals have been providing food and drink. Some local hotels have also offered help. A lot of the trucks have now been slapped with parking fines too, it's disgraceful.

They've been slapped with fines because they have been parked dangerously or illegally. Something that would happen in other countries too
Lots of people have offered help
I'm not sure if the porta loos are out but I've heard that some drivers have been told not to use them, probably because of being in tier 4

Surely Nigel won't mind if they use his facilities - he's only up the road !!

I read that they’re freezing cold. There are no facilities for washing or using the toilet and how long can they survive on a few snacks and water? It’s not good enough is it?

At the very least Porto loos and showers should be got down there!!

For them the poor things but also hygiene generally!!

Normally I'd agree with the illegal parking warranting a fine, but there isn't anywhere else to go in some cases. The number of drivers stuck there is much higher than the PM recently said, hopefully there'll be an agreement soon to get them moving again.

Most lorry drivers will have supplies in their cabs. I live in Kent and have seen some sitting on the edge of the road with camp stoves trying to makes themselves food and lots and lots pissing by the side of the road. It looks depressing and miserable for them. I really couldn't believe how long the tail backs go - all the normal lorry parking spots are full and they're having to just stop where they can.

Yes good point.

Am glad some charities are down w food, but it sounds grim.

It's fucking disgraceful. They are holding meetings but not actually getting help on the ground...i.e. police redirecting traffic and providing them with secure parking where they could leave their trucks and go to a toilet, have a proper sleep and get a shower. It's a mess. What's more disgraceful is that there are a routine lack of facilities for drivers in the UK. Really poor rest stop facilities for truck drivers and secure parking. One weekend a driver asked DH to be locked into their factory carpark for the whole weekend because at least that way he could guarantee the goods were there on Monday morning. I worked in logistics and you wouldn't believe how many side trailers get slit open while the driver is trying to sleep.